Christmas breakdowns......stuf f

A couple of days before last Christmas, our oven started blowing all the fuses when we opened the door, we were expecting 9 for Christmas, more on boxing day. In desperation, we rang the local firm that installed our kitchen 5 years earlier. The phone was answered, the 'boss' had only dropped into the office for a couple of minutes to pick up any mail, the business had closed for the holiday period but he answered the phone anyway. He said he wasn't sure what he could do so close to Christmas and he'd ring us back if he could. 20 minutes later, there was a knock at the front door and we were given a temporary oven. The ovens were a standard size and easily exchanged. Our Christmas was saved, thanks to a local company who's manager believes in good customer service. Everything is working well this Christmas (except me)!

We've had our TV pack in Xmas eve one year. The central heating boiler packed in Xmas eve another year......brrrrrr

Central heating packed in a week or so ago. Our friendly CH engineer has practically lived here to get it fixed. Now the thermostat has gone.... gah!

One year when money was very tight the washing machine died completely in November (two children under eight - school uniforms etc) and then our old cooker developed a fault that was so expensive to fix that it was half the price of a new one. We reached Christmas £1,000 down with absolutely nothing to show for it - still just able to wash clothes and cook meals, nothing extra. We all enjoyed our sock with a tangerine and nuts in the toe.

Guess it's called life. Just think how doubly chuffed you'll be with yourself at how well you coped. Nothing like a challenge! Merry Christmas.

Boiler went on the blink night before Xmas eve, luckily got an engineer out on Xmas eve, fixed it all fine phew.

Ah. This is a well know phenomena... the innate hostility of inanimate objects. Christmas Eve is their big moment - likewise any time just before the shops close.

Weird and spooky. Just reading about overthehills oven light bulbs when OH walked in and said ours has gone too. That's two things with the kettle that went kerplunk yesterday. Perhaps three if you add in the roof leak!

Went to ds, dil and 3x gc last night, car a bit strange on the way there! Time to go home and the car was as dead as a dodo. Ds had to take us home, lucky it's not too far! What a pain and it's Christmas!!!!!!!?

Washing machine decided to play up yesterday. Luckily our lovely neighbours have said I can use theirs until the New Year And we own lots of underwear!

I was making a cheese souffle for dinner this evening. I had everything prepared and the last thing you do is to whip the the egg whites and stir them in before you bake it.

I got my hand mixer out and all it did was give a growl and a sigh and died. Panic for a moment and then I remembered that I had my Mils old Moulinex which had a cream and meringue whipping attachment. A lot of hard work was saved.

Last year over about three weeks the washing machine died. The dishwasher died the morning my DD and kids arrived and the kettle went a couple of weeks later.

One of our loos has decided not to flush. We are 9adults (4 of them staying with us) tomorrow and 13 plus 3 children on Boxing Day ??

Several years ago, Sunday, 3 days before Christmas DGD was being christened in local church, with lunch for 20 afterwards at our house, 8 immediate family were staying on for Christmas as well, so I went down with a severe respiratory infection and the dishwasher broke down. Everybody rallied round. All I remember is that whenever I saw DDiL's mother and sister, they were in the kitchen washing up. I think they spent the whole Christmas in the kitchen doing the washing up.

We are still on really good terms, although they haven't spent Christmas with us since.

I am resolutely not replying to this thread, it's tempting fate

It's called Sods Law!!! Thought our hob had gone pear shaped this morning but it turned out OK in the end